India will soon be dispatching Jan Aushadhi-branded drugs to Mauritius following the bilateral meeting in May. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme is promoted as an affordable medicines scheme by the Narendra Modi government. It offers generic drugs priced 50-90% lower than their branded counterparts in the market.
Mauritius has shared a list of 16 therapeutic areas based on which the stock of drugs is being prepared. This includes cancer, anti-diabetic, antibiotics, nervous system, urology, painkillers, antifungal drugs, and supplements.
The bilateral meeting also decided to expedite regulatory processes relating to certifications to make the Jan Aushadhi Kendra established in Mauritius fully functional. “So far, we have decided to open just one store which will be managed by the Government of Mauritius. India will keep sending the stock as and when required by them,” a senior government official told News18.
The move is the result of a meeting held between the representatives and health ministers from 91 countries invited by the Ministry of External Affairs.
“Public sector undertaking HLL Lifecare has been assigned to export these medicines to Mauritius. We are working out the formalities and documentation required before we open shop,” the officer said.
The official told News18 that this is just an initiative to demonstrate the Jan Aushadhi scheme to the rest of the world. “However, this does not mean that the government will take over the role of exporting medicines from Indian pharma companies. We are exporting in very small quantities that are not even worth Rs 10 crore.”
The country has also sought assistance in identifying IT experts in the field of health willing to work in their country.
The scheme was started by the UPA government as the Jan Aushadhi Yojana in November 2008. But more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2015, the scheme was rebranded and relaunched as the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers executes the scheme via the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI).
India has made a similar announcement on sharing the Jan Aushadhi stores experience in several other countries, including ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
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